MATCH REPORT: Livingstone launches Lancashire into tenth Finals Day with three wicket victory over Kent Spitfires
Lancashire raced into their tenth Vitality Blast Finals Day with an exciting three-wicket victory over Kent Spitfires at a packed Emirates Old Trafford.
After restricting the visitors to 153 all out from their 20 overs, where Luke Wood took 3-29 and spin duo Tom Hartley and Liam Livingstone combined for 3-42 from their 8 overs, Livingstone then led the Lightning run chase with a superb innings of 85 off 45 balls with Lancashire finishing on 156-7 and winning with nine balls to spare.
Lancashire will play the winners of tonight’s last quarter-final between Somerset and the Bears in next Saturday’s semi-final at Edgbaston.
Lancashire suffered two early blows as they set out to chase their 154 target, with Phil Salt pulling Grant Stewart to Nathan Gilchrist on the deep square leg boundary for 3 in the first over and Luke Wells bowled off his pads by Fred Klaassen, also for 3, in the second.
Livingstone pulled Gilchrist for two sixes in the fourth, either side of receiving a nasty looking blow to the back of his helmet, but Lancashire suffered a further loss when Keaton Jennings scooped Fred Klassen to Matt Parkinson at short fine leg for 4 to leave the Lightning 31-3 in the fifth over.
Ashton Turner, who got off the mark with a driven six off Joe Denly, reverse swept Parkinson for four while Livingstone clubbed Denly over long-on for six and hit Parkinson for three straight sixes in one over to reach a 25-ball fifty as Lancashire fought back splendidly to reach 84-3 after 9 overs and needing 70 more off 66 balls.
Turner pulled the first ball from Joey Evison to Gilchrist at deep square leg to depart for 22 at the start of the 10th over but roared on by a crowd of over 12,000, Livingstone and Michael Jones chipped away steadily at the target adding 34 off 4 overs until Jones clipped Parkinson to Klassen at short midwicket after contributing a valuable 28.
Hartley holed out to Jack Leaning at long-on off Parkinson for a three-ball duck to have Lancashire 118-6 with 36 required from 38 balls.
Livingstone launched a massive six off Parkinson that cleared the roof of The Point building at long on to steady any nerves and alongside Jack Blatherwick took the Lightning to the brink of victory before the latter was bowled for 11 when just nine were needed.
Livingstone finished it off in style driving Gilchrist for the four that sealed a return to Edgbaston in seven days’ time.
There was a sensational start to the Kent innings when Tawanda Muyeye drove the first ball of the match from Luke Wood to Livingstone at mid-off, the third time the left-arm quick has struck with his first delivery this season.
Zak Crawley, who drove his second delivery faced for four, and Daniel Bell-Drummond shrugged off that setback to add 33 in 22 balls, the latter pulling Wood for six before tamely slicing James Anderson to Jack Blatherwick at point for 19.
Denly survived a run out chance on 11 as Kent ended the powerplay nicely placed on 54-2 but having conceded a six to Denly and a driven four by Crawley, Blatherwick struck back with the important wicket of Crawley when the England opener gloved a sweep to wicketkeeper Salt for 27.
Lancashire turned to spin and found great reward when danger man Sam Billings swept Livingstone’s first delivery into the hands of Wells at deep square leg for 2 at the start of the 9th over.
When Denly drove a wider delivery from Tom Hartley to Wells at long-off to depart for 28 at the end of the 10th over, Kent – now 81-5 – had suddenly lost three top-order wickets for 16 runs in the space of 20 deliveries.
Joey Evison threatened a revival with sixes off Wells and Livingstone but fell to an excellently judged catch at long-off by Wood off Livingstone for 27 with Kent 115-6 from one ball short of 15 overs.
By then, Livingstone with 2-21 and Hartley, 1-21, had caused serious damage to the Kent innings with two fine four-over spells.
Tom Aspinwall then bowled both Jack Leaning for 10 and Stewart – who crashed a brace of sixes – in a 15-ball 25, while Wood took the last two Kent wickets in the final over as the visitors finished on 153 all out.
That proved to be below par, but Kent pushed Lancashire all the way in an exciting contest.
“That was just a very enjoyable afternoon to be honest,” said Player of the Match Liam Livingstone.
“It's always nice to be able to contribute to a team winning, especially at such a crucial stage of the tournament.
“I feel like the cricket that we've played over the last however many months this tournament goes on for, to deserve to go to finals day. This sometimes is the hardest hurdle to get over because it's a one-off match and we've played 14 games to get here.
“It's just nice to be able to contribute to the team when it really matters to them.”
Livingstone picked up a few bumps and bruises today.
“I ended up with cramp in both calves, both middle fingers and a sore head,” he grinned.
“I'm alright. I'll be fine.
“I should have hit the one that hit me in the head for six, to be honest, but it bounced a bit too much.
“Like I said, it was just a very enjoyable game and it's what our group deserves, to be honest.
“Who we have available next week, I don't know, but we certainly deserve our spot.
“It's probably one of the best games of cricket I've ever played, to be honest, personally.
“I felt like the ball came out of my hand really nicely and to be able to steer the team home towards the end there whilst still trying to take on their bowlers as well, which I think it was pretty much probably one of the best T20 innings I've ever played, which is pretty sweet that it came at that time.
“I'm just over the moon that I could be out there to win the game for the boys and get us to the final.”
Ken Grime
Photos: Luke Adams & Dan Adams